ANGELS WILL BE CREATIVE TO GET WHAT THEY NEED.

Byline: Gabe Lacques Staff Writer

One year ago, Angels general manager Bill Stoneman produced the most expensive offseason makeover in club history, doling out $146 million worth of contracts to upgrade the starting pitching and outfield.

That unprecedented spending spree probably won't be matched in sheer dollars this winter, but that hardly means the Angels will be quiet.

Stoneman arrived Monday in Key Biscayne, Fla., for the general managers' meetings with similar goals as last year. The club wants to add a starting pitcher and a center fielder, hopefully trade left fielder Jose Guillen, and possibly dip into a strong crop of available middle infielders.

It might not be as basic as picking Bartolo Colon, Kelvim Escobar, Vladimir Guerrero and Guillen off the free-agent market.

This winter, Stoneman's creativity could be put to the test, beginning today and continuing well into January.

On Friday, clubs can begin negotiations with free agents from other teams. If the Angels fall short in their goal to obtain premier center fielder Carlos Beltran, Stoneman's ability to acquire a center fielder through trade could define this offseason.

``You always have a set of objectives,'' Stoneman said. ``You go in thinking if I can better myself anywhere, I will. If it turns out we can in a few areas, we'll be pretty active.''

The Angels' No. 1 objective again is signing a starting pitcher. Sources have indicated their primary free-agent target will be right-hander Carl Pavano. If Pavano, a Connecticut native, prefers to stay in the East, right-hander Brad Radke and left-hander Eric Milton are the Angels' top fallback options, with right-hander Pedro Martinez a possibility.

As for center field, the Angels will be in the middle of the Beltran bidding, thanks to the $40 million savings created by the expiration of contracts to pitchers Kevin Appier and Aaron Sele, closer Troy Percival and third baseman Troy Glaus.

Although reports have suggested the Angels could be Beltran's No. 1 choice, they will be hard-pressed to match the financial capabilities of the New York Yankees if Beltran takes the highest bid.

And that's where things could get interesting.

The club wants to move Garret Anderson back to left field, but outside of Beltran and Steve Finley, who turns 40 in March, the free-agent market at center is thin. So, according to sources, the Angels might attempt to raid three lower-revenue teams for their center fielders.

Toronto's Vernon Wells, Minnesota's Torii Hunter and Florida's Juan Pierre would fit ideally into the Angels' plans. Those three are getting older and too expensive for their current clubs.

Wells, who hit .272 with 23 homers despite a calf injury last season, is signed through 2007 for a reasonable $12.8 million. The Blue Jays' top prospect is center fielder Alexis Rios, and the Angels could aid the financially-strapped club by sending them another young, cheap player from among a pool of Dallas McPherson, Casey Kotchman or catcher Jeff Mathis.

Hunter, the Twins' Gold Glove winner, will make $8 million each of the next two seasons, an annual salary that would consume 15 percent of the Twins' 2004 payroll of $54 million. Pierre, 27, will make $3.4 million in 2005, the final year of a four-year, $7.5 million contract.

Pierre also would fit well in the Angels' aggressive offense, but it would cost them a younger talent, such as Pierre's good friend Chone Figgins, to get the Marlins to trade him.

As the offseason progresses, the dynamics could shift. For instance, the Angels have no interest in free-agent third baseman Adrian Beltre, with McPherson set to replace Glaus. But if McPherson is trade bait for a center fielder, the Angels would suddenly join the Beltre chase.

Gabe Lacques, [phone]

gabe.lacques(at)sgvn.com